Just would like to have a discussion on the topic. I’ve purchased around 20ish movies/shows on Vudu, and my wife has grown to be unhappy with Vudu’s UI and especially how the watch progress works. I am curious what some others thoughts on this are. My initial thoughts are I recognize I’ve purchased a license to watch the content, but feel that because I’ve purchased it I should have the right to retain total control over it and do what I please. I would like to purchase movies on physical media from now on, but wouldn’t like to repurchase all the same movies and shows again when I’ve already paid for them

      • alex@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        1 year ago

        ::: you can download it off internet archive

        you need:

        • windows - maybe, ive only tried on windows
        • internet archive account
        • adobe digital editions
        • calibre with alf’s de-drm plug-in

        borrow the book

        put this link into your browser and replace bookid with the identifier https://archive.org/services/loans/loan/?action=media_url&identifier=BOOKID&format=pdf&redirect=1

        you should get acsm file open it in adobe digital editions you now have drm-protected pdf in my documents/my digital editions/

        add this pdf to calibre (with the plug in installed)

        now you have drm-free pdf

        :::

        easier solution - just search it up with a book search engine

  • Vaggumon@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Asking if pirating something is wrong in a pro pirating group…

  • Daniel Quinn@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    There’s a couple angles you can take on this. My favourite is from the dotCommunist Manifesto:

    Society confronts the simple fact that when everyone can possess every intellectual work of beauty and utility—reaping all the human value of every increase of knowledge—at the same cost that any one person can possess them, it is no longer moral to exclude.

    Essentially, this argues that the unethical position is the one that creates the false scarcity.

    Another less extreme position would be that many countries allow for exemptions for format shifting: if you buy a CD with some music, you’re legally permitted to rip it so long as you don’t distribute copies. One could argue that someone in your position is operating within the spirit of these laws… provided that you haven’t torrented the videos since that necessarily includes some partial distribution.

    Finally, the least generous interpretation would point out that you didn’t buy the videos in the first place, but rather a licence to let Vudu stream them to you. Given that you don’t own anything, you’re not morally entitled to own it in a different format. This is why many people have rejected the streaming model.

    As someone in camp #1, I think you’re a-ok ethically, but I thought you might want a broader perspective.

    • Blizzard@lemmy.zip
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      1 year ago

      Not necessarily - depends on the way of obtaining the file. Downloading a copyrighted video is not illegal (it’s fair use), sharing it with others is illegal. If they downloaded it directly without sharing, that’s perfectly legal.

  • Uriel238 [all pronouns]@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    1 year ago

    One of the rights we are continually trying to claw back from the IP Maximalist lobby (and their minions in office) is the right to enjoy the media you own in a format available to you.

    However, the studios and labels like taking another bite of the apple by releasing new versions, or versions in new formats, sometimes twice as they release better versions that correct for bad transfers (e.g. the lightsaber problem with the early blu-ray release.)

    Hollywood has established though repeated bad-faith behavior, it’s not interested in getting your money legitimately or while retaining a positive customer experience, but extracting your money any way they can.

    The DMCA forbids breaking DRM even for legal or non-copyright violating reasons (which is how we lost the right to repair or even jailbreak phones). And they could use this to prevent you from converting formats of your media to one you can actually use, but they’d have to make a stretchy case in court.

    Sony also overcharges for scratched or failed media, so they’ve been caught treating their stuff as licenses or media when it legally suits them.

    PS: Illegal ≠ Wrong. LGBT+ people are not grooming children, but religious ministries are.

    • donkeystomple@lemmy.mlOP
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      1 year ago

      Yeah it’s crazy how much the world has changed even in my short lifetime, especially with the mass adoption of digital media. It’s going to be so difficult for people to retain their rights to what they purchase.

  • Yote.zip@pawb.social
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    1 year ago

    It’s completely down to your opinion. Legally I would guess that you’re not allowed to do it, but nowadays we live in a hellscape where we own nothing so I wouldn’t base your moral compass off of the rules that corporations set. Personally if I’ve already bought it somewhere it is mine. They’re lucky I even purchased one copy, they’re not getting anything else from me.

  • HellAwaits@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    I think it’s more wrong how writers make pennies while the fat suits at Hollywood make even more absurd amounts of money. Fuck them. Pirate.

  • viking@infosec.pub
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    1 year ago

    Since you’re talking about “wrong”, rather than “illegal”, you seem to approach this from a moral angle instead of a legal one. And when it comes to morality, that’s something you can only define for yourself.

    Personally I don’t see any problems there, nor do I see a problem with pirating unlicensed content. If I would never have paid to watch a certain movie, the rightsholder doesn’t make a factual loss. They can cry about opportunity costs all day long, but if it’s not a “cinema vs. piracy” but a “piracy vs. nothing at all” discussion, it’s pretty much a moot point.

    • janguv@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 year ago

      And when it comes to morality, that’s something you can only define for yourself.

      Well the point of his coming here to discuss the ethics of it was to go beyond his own starting moral intuitions, to consider arguments and perspectives that pertain to the ethics of the act in question. The view that morality is a personal matter is a non-starter as far as moral philosophy goes. The ball is in OP’s court over who/what to consult to find relevant ethical considerations, and it’s up to him to reason those out and whether to follow them, but that doesn’t make the ethics itself something for him to define.

      • donkeystomple@lemmy.mlOP
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        1 year ago

        Yeah you’ve hit the nail on the head. I was merely trying to gain some perspectives outside my own. Ethics is not something for me to define at all. That being said, I’ve decided that I have paid for the media and as such have a right to retain full control over that media as long as I don’t sell it or distribute it widely.

    • donkeystomple@lemmy.mlOP
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      1 year ago

      Yeah I know it’s not legal in my country and state, but was just trying to get a feel for different opinions on the morality of my question. For me I just like making sure the creator of the media I really enjoy get’s some kind of support, that way I’m voting a little with my dollar. So far I’m really thinking I’ve paid for the media once and once is more than enough.

      • iso@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        1 year ago

        If you want to support the creator, spread the word. Paying for things will generally just fill the purses of some rich ass media company execs who sit around all day masturbating on their third yacht.

        By spreading the word, the creator is suddenly known for “having created this media that everyone knows”, landing them better deals with media corporations.

        This concept applies to pretty much all media in all forms.

      • bkmps3@aussie.zone
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        1 year ago

        You’ve paid for the right to watch the movie. The movie industry will argue that you’ve just paid for the right to access that physical copy and I’m sure from a legal point of view they’re right as they’ve lobbied to increase control out of greed and the hope of being able to get more money out of you for the same effort.

        Morally you paid to access the content, you paid to compensate the creators for their work. Now you’re entitled to view what you’ve paid for.